Heian Kitan/Onikiri
Why did Ibaraki Doji suddenly visit? And why are yokai gathering? How is this all related to Onikiri? Please find out the truth in this Heian Kitan. Mechanism Players go on a journey of hunting demons. *The Heian Kitan is isolated from the outside world, which means players won't be able to bring their own shikigami into this game mode. Players need to obtain shikigami and souls within the Heian Kitan to be able to defeat the enemies they meet along the way and reach the ending. *This game mode consists of nine chapters in total. Completing each chapter also unlocks its corresponding achievement. In addition to the regular rewards, players can also obtain illustrations from the Onikiri emaki. Story Ibaraki Doji's Visit Kohaku: What? Is that really Master Ibaraki Doji? Ibaraki Doji: Seimei, it’s been a long time. Seimei: Ibaraki Doji, it’s rare to see you here. Ibaraki Doji: Ha, yeah. I have a favour to ask. Seimei: I’m curious to know what kind of favour has brought you. Ibaraki Doji: Seimei, let me ask you, do you know a clan that goes by the name of Minamoto? Kohaku: The Minamoto clan?! Isn’t that where Master Hiromasa is from? Seimei: I’ve heard about them. The Minamoto clan is a big clan of onmyoji that’s well known in the capital with over a hundred years of history. Seimei: They are responsible for performing the grand imperial ceremonies and rituals. Rumor has it that they also conduct secret rituals. Ibaraki Doji: The favor I want to ask is about the Minamoto clan. Ibaraki Doji: And since it’s related to human beings, I think you should take care of this. Seimei: Uh, Ibaraki Doji, what kind of matter are you referring to? Ibaraki Doji: I heard from the spirits of the forest that a huge number of monsters are gathering in the Underworld Realm. Ibaraki Doji: The monsters are wreaking havoc, and jeopardizing all sense of order. Seimei: The Underworld Realm? In the past, it was a place of cleansing. Why would the monsters suddenly want to gather there? Ibaraki Doji: Humph, it’s the work of the infamous Minamoto clan! Ibaraki Doji: The Minamoto clan sealed Onikiri, the legendary demon slayer, into the Underworld Realm, in an attempt to cleanse him. Ibaraki Doji: But they underestimated his powerful demon force, which overwhelmed the cleansing energy. Ibaraki Doji: Though he was sealed in, his demon force still lured many monsters trying to feed on his power. Seimei: Hold on. Isn’t Onikiri the weapon of Minamoto no Yorimitsu, the leader of the Minamoto clan? Why did the Minamoto clan seal him in? Ibaraki Doji: Tsk, you know how snobbish you humans are. Ibaraki Doji: They held him in awe when he was strong and powerful and discarded him mercilessly when he was no use anymore! Seimei: ... Seimei: Do you want me to lift the seal on Onikiri? Ibaraki Doji: That’s right. Onikiri’s demon force is the source of all these monsters. Ibaraki Doji: However, he’s sealed in the deepest part of the Underworld Realm, with a giant realm field. Ordinary people would get lost there. Seimei: So far as I know, the spacetime in the Underworld Realm is chaotic and disordered. Seimei: The realm is created from the memories of the one sealed in. Anyone who tries to enter will be lost. Ibaraki Doji: Yes, you should know that best, great onmyoji. Ibaraki Doji: The most important thing is that the field deep in the Underworld Realm can only be lifted by the power of an onmyoji. Ibaraki Doji: Seimei, if you’re ready, you must go to the Underworld Realm immediately. Ibaraki Doji: I’m going there now. I’ll meet you in the center of the field. Seimei: It’s my duty to repel the demons and monsters. Seimei: But, Ibaraki Doji, what’s your part in this? Seimei: Also, you and Onikiri... Ibaraki Doji: It’s complicated. Ibaraki Doji: Seimei, do you still remember the letter I wrote you before? Seimei: Is this about the Mt. Oe? Ibaraki Doji: Hehe, you’re very perceptive. Ibaraki Doji: When you get to the Underworld Realm, you’ll find out about Mt. Oe, him, and everything that happened. Seimei: ... Kohaku: Master Seimei, let’s get ready and go to the Underworld Realm now! Seimei: Sure. Save 1 /1–3}} Save 2 /4–6}} Save 3 /7–9}} Ending 'Onikiri' Seimei: This should be the center of the field, so I guess Onikiri should be sealed here. Kohaku: Huff... puff... huff..., we’re finally here! Oof, but where’s Ibaraki Doji? Seimei: Let’s go find Onikiri and lift his seal first. Kohaku: Yes, Master Seimei! Kohaku: I’m sensing a strong murderous force in the air. And it’s suffocating! Seimei: The seal is too weak to block his force. No wonder the monsters are drawn here. Onikiri really is a powerful weapon stained with the blood of demons and monsters... Seimei: Anyway, we don’t have any time to waste. Seimei: Eliminate the contaminated! Cleanse the unclean! Evil begone --! Onikiri: ... Kohaku: Huh? Nothing happened? Onikiri: *Cough... cough... Kohaku: Is he awake? Onikiri: Mina... *Cough... cough... Kohaku: Master Seimei, he’s trying to say something. Seimei: He doesn’t look very clear-headed. Onikiri: Mina... Minamoto no Yorimitsu!!! Don’t touch me! Seimei: Urgh... Kohaku: Why did you attack Master Seimei?! Onikiri: Damn you, onmyoji. I won’t yield to you! Kohaku: Wh-what?! Seimei: Onikiri is not himself. Onikiri: Ha- hahaha... Kohaku: Woah, he looks scary. Kohaku: Wait, we’re not... Ibaraki Doji: Onikiri! Calm yourself down! Kohaku: Ah, it’s Ibaraki Doji! Onikiri: *Cough... cough... you’re... Ibaraki Doji: Stop! They’re not your enemies! Kohaku: Argh!!! What’s going on?! Seimei: Kohaku, Onikiri must have mistaken us for the onmyoji of the Minamoto clan. Ibaraki Doji: Anyway, you should leave. Now that the seal on Onikiri has been lifted, the Minamoto clan will know about this already. It will be dangerous for you. Ibaraki Doji: I’ll give you all the details on the road. 'Courtyard' Kohaku: So... Onikiri, you went to Mt. Oe after taking your revenge? Onikiri: Mt. Oe... is something I can’t escape. Onikiri: I have to face this, I have to face my kin who have been hurt by me! Ibaraki Doji: I didn’t know Onikiri was under the influence of Minamoto no Yorimitsu. We even had a big fight. Ibaraki Doji: Minamoto no Yorimitsu is such a despicable man! He attacked my best friend, Shuten Doji, in the same disgraceful way! Onikiri: Damn it! I don’t know why I spared his life when I had the chance! Kohaku: Wait, I thought Minamoto no Yorimitsu was dead! Onikiri: That man still lives. Kohaku: What?! Onikiri: And he’s responsible for me being sealed in the Underworld Realm. Onikiri: The Minamoto no Yorimitsu I thought I had killed was only his mirrored puppet. Onikiri: When I had the chance to face the real him, I lost because I was not fully determined. He wanted to erase the memories I had after the purge on Mt. Oe and make me his own weapon again. Onikiri: The pact he infused into my body has still not been lifted. The blood causing pain still runs through me, torturing me everyday! Kohaku: Oof, I didn’t know the pact of the Minamoto clan had such a dreadful power. Seimei: The pact that Minamoto no Yorimitsu created with Onikiri is a special one, something that cannot be broken by ordinary means. Onikiri: After I learned that I’m from Mt. Oe as well, I formed an alliance with Ibaraki Doji and Shuten Doji. Onikiri: I began investigating the Minamoto clan in secret, preparing my revenge against that man. Onikiri: Meanwhile, I learned how to restore the power of memory of Shuten Doji. Kohaku: What?! You can recover Shuten Doji?! Ibaraki Doji: That’s right. My friend will regain his power one day and reclaim what is rightfully his! Onikiri: During the purge of Mt. Oe, Minamoto no Yorimitsu killed Shuten Doji. Onikiri: So I went to investigate how Shuten Doji’s power could be restored. Onikiri: But I lost to that man when I was investigating… What a disgrace! Onikiri: My blade won’t be so soft next time. Onikiri: Seimei, I’m sorry for hurting you by mistake. And thank you. Seimei: I’m with you on this. Seimei: The most dangerous thing is the ambition of Minamoto no Yorimitsu. Seimei: If necessary, I can also lend you my help. 'Minamoto no Yorimitsu' Onmyoji of the Minamoto Clan: Minamoto no Yorimitsu, someone took Onikiri from the field. Onmyoji of the Minamoto Clan: From the demon force they left behind, they seem to be from Mt. Oe. Minamoto no Yorimitsu: Mt. Oe? He already betrayed me so I can’t use him anymore. Minamoto no Yorimitsu: But, I must admit, he’s a great blade. Onmyoji of the Minamoto Clan: Master, should we retrieve Onikiri? Minamoto no Yorimitsu: ... Minamoto no Yorimitsu: (Now that Onikiri has joined the Mt. Oe bunch, he should be able to balance the power of those guys... Minamoto no Yorimitsu: (To feel the glory of god with your fragile human body, you must be prepared.) Minamoto no Yorimitsu: (Yes, I understand.) Comments by the Writer (T/N: These are comments the writer posted on Weibo after major changes were done to the characters and story she had devised. As of now most of these changes have been rolled back and the story is moving in the direction it was always meant to, though some of the dialogue in this Heian Kitan still reflects the outdated version.) “I’m the author of the Onikiri emaki story. I was also in charge of the outline and part of the dialogue writing of the first version of the Heian Kitan. Last year, I took part in an in-house writing contest. The theme was Onikiri’s story. (Nothing but his name was conceptualized at the time, there was no characterization or background setting yet. As it was a shikigami’s individual story outside the main storyline, there was a contest for it.) The script outline for the Oeyama purge of the Minamoto clan that I wrote was eventually selected. Afterwards, I refined and revised it dozens of times to finalise the emaki story and shape the two new characters Onikiri and Minamoto no Yorimitsu -- from personalities and backgrounds to story writing, etc. At the same time, I supervised the art style and direction of the Onikiri emaki as well. After that, I outlined the first version of the Heian Kitan, did the story layout, and worked on some parts of the dialogue, and so on. This whole process took almost half a year. Most of it was spent on the emaki art supervision, and I wrote the story outside of work hours using my spare time. I have always loved coming up with stories and designing characters, so I wrote this with the desire to present the readers with a wonderful story. The original script was actually a lot longer with rich background details. But due to the space limitations and issues with the emaki format, a lot of the content had to be cut. For this I deeply apologise. All plotlines related to the Onikiri emaki and the first version of the Kitan, Onikiri, Minamoto no Yorimitsu, and Oeyama were then submitted to the main writers for future writing. I haven’t been involved with writing these characters outside the Onikiri emaki and the first version of the Kitan. And considering how busy work is, I doubt I’ll have the time to do so in the future either. All in all, I’m extremely grateful to Onmyoji for giving me the opportunity to create Onikiri’s story. Also, I never expected the character Minamoto no Yorimitsu to make it into the main storyline...... The details about miko sacrifices or deals with the evil god wasn’t present in the Minamoto no Yorimitsu that I wrote, nor was his purpose obtaining the power of a god. The Minamoto no Yorimitsu designed back then was an extremely hawkish onmyoji. He created countless youkai soldiers using a forbidden technique and trained them into a war-ready army. This is all because he’s aware of human limitations. Among the Three Realms, humanity is the weakest by far in terms of power, which made him realise the imbalance and feel like human beings are too cowardly. From a human standpoint, he believed humanity should stand at the pinnacle of the Three Realms. Meanwhile his ambition, desire and self-confidence drove him to seek greater power. Minamoto no Yorimitsu is very ambitious, and possesses the talent to achieve those ambitions. He takes pride in humanity’s dignity and honour, and uses his own flesh and blood to do what ordinary humans cannot even dream of. This arrogance will one day destroy him, but he has no fear. Interestingly enough, Minamoto no Yorimitsu has killed countless youkai in his lifetime, and yet ultimately saved one too. This intricate setup makes him a much more contradictory and three-dimensional character. (Of course, everything I wrote above are currently scrapped ideas. But please feel free to treat this as a fan setting.)”